Sustainability

Dow launches product enabling brighter colors on natural textiles while reducing water and dye use

The Dow Chemical Company will launch ECOFAST™ Pure Sustainable Textile Treatment at the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) International Conference beginning today. This breakthrough technology enables unique, brighter colors on natural textiles and significantly improves resource efficiency during the dyeing process.

Dow’s patented technology allows for the uptake of reactive, direct and acid dyes on natural fibers and fabrics, used in products from apparel to home goods. Most notably, acid dyes are used to achieve colors such as fluorescents, which, until now, were unavailable on cotton, the most preferred clothing material by consumers. ECOFAST Pure also improves color fastness to provide brand owners peace of mind that the quality of a product will stand up against wear over time.

“Dow has leveraged over a century of material science knowledge to help address the performance and sustainability gaps in the textile industry,” said Esma Talu, market manager for Dow. “By pretreating textiles with ECOFAST Pure, manufacturers can deliver longer lasting, new generation colors on natural textiles while simultaneously reducing water, dye and energy use.”

At the core of ECOFAST Pure is Dow’s commitment to deliver breakthrough sustainable chemistry innovations, a key pillar of the Company’s 2025 Sustainability Goals. Materials treated with ECOFAST Pure require less rinses and lower water temperatures during dyeing to ultimately decrease water use by more than 50 percent as well as overall energy use. Manufacturers can also decrease dye use by 75 percent through increased dye uptake and reduced cycle time. This enhanced resource efficiency can even be achieved without the addition of salts to the dye bath.

“Better manufacturing processes are key to more responsible textile production,” said Talu. “Through products like ECOFAST Pure, Dow is able to drive a more sustainable supply chain that requires less resources to create essential textiles for our society.”